A cause for panic.

Due to the extended duration of the strike, students all over universities in my country who've been staying in school in the hope that the initial one month warning strike would be called off have all gone home to their parents. This was a cause for jubilation for some, for others it was either a hope shatterer or an argument sparker. It soon turned into a cause for panic for me when I heard that about five students from my University who aren't from the state had been waylaid by kidnappers and abducted on their way home from school.

Among the five who we've heard were abducted, three are final year students, one a second year and the other a third year. We've been told that the kidnappers have demanded for a ransom of 3 million Niara(about $7,000). The students from within the school have contributed and I also heard rumours about some famous celebrity promising to handle the rest of the pay.

I have contacted my friends who aren't from the state about their journey, while some confirmed that they're fine, I haven't heard from the others. It's either their phone is switched of or their phone isn't reachable at the moment. I have tried this for a consecutive two days but all to no avail. I contacted other friends with whom they were closer, they too reported the same scenario.

It's heartbreaking to come to terms with the fact that no one is safe anymore. Kidnappers and bandits have infested the country and it only gets worse. Promises from the government, but none has been fulfilled. It's indeed heartbreaking. Even within our neighbourhood we aren't safe anymore. The other day, a teacher abducted his own student asking for ransom and ended up killing the little girl even after the ransom was paid. Our safety is in none other but God's hands.

Although for me and other Nigerians this isn't something that surprises us any more as the rate of abduction by kidnappers keeps increasing making people heart skip at the mere idea of travelling to another state... even if it's just a neighbouring state. People are now beginning to prepare "Goods for two" when they travel. It's like the "expectations" people have about being robbed on their journey is more present than not. The other day during the mid semester break, my classmate was robbed when he went to visit his sick mother in kogi(a state). As he was recounting to us his ordeal when he got back to school, he said that a good number of the robbers where but small boys within the age range of 13-17 years old. Is it the whole world or is it just my country? If children as young as those have started handling kalashnikovs, what will they be handling when they becomes 30? Missiles or nuclear weapons?

It's sad. Plain sad. All we can do is hope, be careful and protect ourselves to the best of our ability. If we die in the process of protecting ourselves, then we're martyrs.

I am trying to maintain a positive mindset as I await to hear from my friends and I will keep trying all means through which I can contact them. From among my friends, there's one whose brother's number I have. I tried it but it's also switched off. I hope and pray that this is just coincidence and has nothing to do with any of that. I really hope so.

Thanks for reading.

Yours Layly,

❤❤❤❤